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Radio Monte Carlo: Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, an Arab and International Role Model

17-Aug-2017|Source : AG-IP News|Visits : 2247

Special to ag-IP-news Agency

PARIS – HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) was hosted by Ms. Gaby Lteif, in an exclusive interview on Radio Monte Carlo during a recent visit to the French Capital.

Highlights of the interview included that Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh chaired the Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICT) of the United Nations; and therefore he is one of the most prominent personalities who left their mark on the Arab and international arenas.

The interview was aired on Monte Carlo International on Thursday 27th of July at 6:00 PM Paris time, 7:00 Amman time, and was re-broadcast on July 30.

Here are some excerpts of the interview:

Cooperation between TAG-Org and the UN

Senator Abu-Ghazaleh has chaired more than 14 UN taskforces and initiatives and he was Vice Chair with former UN Secretary Generals Kofi Anan and Ban Ki-moon of the UN Global Compact as well as a member of several UN programs. Recently, Dr. Abu ghazaleh has been named as Special Ambassador to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. In 2016, he was honored by the United Nations Development Program for his role in enhancing the UNDP Development Goals, during an event organized by the UNDP celebrating the Program’s 50th Anniversary as well as its 40th year of operating in Jordan.

A Prospect for Collaboration between Europe and the South

"France is a very close country to me, I am proud of the French Legion of Honor conferred on me by President François Mitterrand- with whom I have family ties. Under the new French President Emmanuel Macron, I see a great prospect for collaboration between Europe - especially France, and the region to which I belong, the Mediterranean and Africa. I think that France and Europe have made a mistake over the past years by insisting on focusing on the West and neglecting the South. In fact, there is a great future awaiting this region, and this is what China, which has invested heavily in Africa, became aware of, because it realized the significant potential of these regions".

Teaching Syrian Refugees in Jordanian Camps

Regarding the refugee initiatives of TAG-Org in the region, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said: "Our Organization is cooperating with the United Nations Development Program in several initiatives, particularly in capacity building projects aimed at achieving sustainable development for Jordanian youth and Syrian refugees. With support from the European Union, we are currently teaching Syrian refugees in Jordanian camps, so each student would be able to get international academic degrees such as a Bachelor's or a Master's degree”. He added, “I do not like the term “Syrian refugee”. I consider them as guests. We offer them all the facilities so that they can continue their studies; this is why we have equipped them with a center with all modern means of communication to carry out their studies and research. In Iraq, for example, we submitted an initiative to the government to qualify a thousand certified accountants from the governorate of Nineveh, as we did in Palestinian cities in Jenin and Gaza. I feel it is my duty to help the refugees everywhere, so that they can depend on themselves and build their future”.

Knowledge for All

On his message and vision Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said, "My message and my Organization's message is that every human being, whether in Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica or elsewhere, must become a knowledge person, because the world in the future will not have so-called developed and developing countries; rather, a developed human being and a developing human being. Tomorrow offers a historical opportunity that has never existed before, if each person, is given the opportunity, to get the highest levels of knowledge. It is necessary to establish a global institution for capacity building for the whole world and not to be limited to the Arab region, through our 100 offices operating all over the world. This explains our mission: the launch of a global organization from the East whose aim is to develop knowledge for all”.

The Importance of Fighting Terrorism

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh spoke about the importance of fighting terrorism through social media technologies. He said: "Unless we put in place a system of monitoring the appropriate use of the Internet, we will not be able to eliminate terrorism or corruption. This must happen, especially after the terrorist attacks in the Arab region and in the West. I think that a system of governance that prevents the misuse of the Internet must be set up, and I am sure that the Internet can be governed through a technology that allows revealing the identity of the user, this is possible, but only requires a political decision by the United States of America”.